The field of the present invention is flow separators. More specifically, the invention relates to a flow separator for use in a drying unit, such as a textile dryer.
In textile or clothing dryers, during the drying process, lint is released from the articles being dried and is picked up by the air flow in the dryer. The lint may then collect in air ducts within the dryer and cause a reduction in air flow and a loss of drying efficiency. In addition, lint build up may interfere with moving electrical contacts and moving mechanical dryer parts.
Typically, in a dryer, articles to be dried are brought into contact with hot and relatively dry air provided by a heater or burner. During the drying process, the air cools somewhat and picks up moisture from the drying articles. The air is then removed from the dryer as exhaust air. As this dryer exhaust air is generally at a temperature substantially above ambient temperature, recirculating the dryer exhaust air can reduce the heat energy requirements of the dryer, and correspondingly reduce operating costs. However, merely reheating the dryer exhaust air and reintroducing it into the dryer would also recirculate the moisture and lint into the dryer would also recirculate the moisture and lint in the exhaust air into the dryer.